31 Mar 10
Originally posted by robbie carrobieWell, you see what kind of positions he likes and aim to avoid these, or else you can aim to achieve positions in which your opponent tends to struggle. For example if he likes open positions with loads of tactics, aim for something strategic, or closed, he is bound to loose patience and make some terrible mistake. Basically you look at his strengths and avoid them, and you look at his weaknesses and you exploit them. In practical terms I'm not sure how you do this, as I never prepare for any opponent (if the games explorer were ever updated I might give it a try). But for what it's worth I reckon this is what you should do.
Hi, how does one prepare for a specific opponent? Yes one understands that looking through his/her games are a prerequisite, but then what?
31 Mar 10
Originally posted by orion25it is good Orion , i like 🙂
Well, you see what kind of positions he likes and aim to avoid these, or else you can aim to achieve positions in which your opponent tends to struggle. For example if he likes open positions with loads of tactics, aim for something strategic, or closed, he is bound to loose patience and make some terrible mistake. Basically you look at his strengths and avo ...[text shortened]... r updated I might give it a try). But for what it's worth I reckon this is what you should do.
31 Mar 10
2 edits
Originally posted by trev33Lol, i dont deny it, i got beat from my friend from Texas rated 1100, i was winning against my other American friend rated in the high 1300s, blitzed the moves as usual, placed my queen in front of my king and next move she was gone! I am downwardly spirling, after losing only one game in the last 17 or so to a player rated more than 200 points above me, these two disasters lost me 60 rating points in the blink of an eye.
you can do all the preparing you want i'm still going to kick your ass :p
Never the less the phoenix shall rise from the ashes of disaster, like an all encompassing chess megalith i shall devour all in my path, eating up mere 1700+ players as if they were stubble for the fire, you have been warned trev, there is a bounty upon your head and once my Adidas superstar II, metallic silver retro basketball shoes come from America, i shall be unstoppable! Plus, plus I've been drinking Barrs Irn Bru, scientifically proven to make you more brainy!
31 Mar 10
1 edit
Examples of Preparation-
Boris Spassky - I had a simul against him, I went through 2k games or so by sorting eco codes. I had 2 months, so I built a repertoire around the Sicilian, opting for the Accelerated Dragon (which he had minimal games and played the maroczy) and vs the Closed Siclian I had prepared the Kasparov line that was based off Spassky- Geller 1968.
In the game he opted for the Open Sicilian and I was able to draw.
With someone like Spassky, it wasn't searching for a weakness as much as it was avoiding his strongest choices. Every player who chose 1.. e5 got destroyed with glee by his King's Gambit.
example b
Playing in the Fide World Amateur last week I had an opponent that I had played 2x in CC on site like RHP. He didn't realize it was me so I had the advantage of going through all his CC games and seeing what he liked to play. I discovered he was highly likely to play a Benko. In an hour before game time I sat down and prepared an opening line that he had only played against 2x out of maybe 100 benko games.
result - at the board he chose a Benko and by move 15 I had a 40 min advantage on him in time which offset his 200+ rating point advantage.
31 Mar 10
Originally posted by nimzo5you have played Boris Spassky? wow! and you prepared for him, double wow! your examples are very practical indeed. i like the Benko example, cunning, vewy vewy fox like its its brilliance. Any chance you can look at Trevs games and mail me with some suggestions, i know the process will be painful, like looking at a victim of a road incident all gory with bits lying everywhere, not pretty, but perhaps you may suggest something 😉
Examples of Preparation-
Boris Spassky - I had a simul against him, I went through 2k games or so by sorting eco codes. I had 2 months, so I built a repertoire around the Sicilian, opting for the Accelerated Dragon (which he had minimal games and played the maroczy) and vs the Closed Siclian I had prepared the Kasparov line that was based off Spassky- Gell ...[text shortened]... move 15 I had a 40 min advantage on him in time which offset his 200+ rating point advantage.
31 Mar 10
Originally posted by nimzo5... and in CC he can compensate his weaknesses with time. Against me though I think pretty much anyone can prepare something nice and achieve at least equality, heck even without preparation 🙁
it was a simul, not a big deal.
The problem with preparing for CC is that unless your opponent plays a very limited repertoire he can vary a lot more than one would OTB.
31 Mar 10
Originally posted by nimzo5wow playing a chess legend!! 🙂 your so lucky! How did he feel about his draw against you, did you talk to him a little? how were his emotions? Hopefully he wasn't a sore loser like Kasparov in the Kazaross simul incident.
Examples of Preparation-
Boris Spassky - I had a simul against him, I went through 2k games or so by sorting eco codes. I had 2 months, so I built a repertoire around the Sicilian, opting for the Accelerated Dragon (which he had minimal games and played the maroczy) and vs the Closed Siclian I had prepared the Kasparov line that was based off Spassky- Gell ...[text shortened]... move 15 I had a 40 min advantage on him in time which offset his 200+ rating point advantage.
31 Mar 10
Originally posted by Maxacre42i am reading book on Petrosian at the moment, there is an interview with Spassky, when asked what he thought were qualities in a chess player, he stated above all honesty and what he abhorred were bad manners.
wow playing a chess legend!! 🙂 your so lucky! How did he feel about his draw against you, did you talk to him a little? how were his emotions? Hopefully he wasn't a sore loser like Kasparov in the Kazaross simul incident.
01 Apr 10
Originally posted by Maxacre42Spassky is pretty much the opposite of Kasparov. I don't think he sweat the draw much, he was having too much fun playing King's Gambits. He just said, "What would you say if I offered you a draw?"
wow playing a chess legend!! 🙂 your so lucky! How did he feel about his draw against you, did you talk to him a little? how were his emotions? Hopefully he wasn't a sore loser like Kasparov in the Kazaross simul incident.
A friend of mine got into a closed, lost position, and Spassky sat down, thought for about 5 minutes and then made this strange retreating Knight move and announced "BOOM! disaster."
sure enough about 5 moves later it became clear my buddy was toast. Great stuff.
01 Apr 10
Originally posted by robbie carrobieYeah, he was first class. Nothing but good things to say about him.
i am reading book on Petrosian at the moment, there is an interview with Spassky, when asked what he thought were qualities in a chess player, he stated above all honesty and what he abhorred were bad manners.
02 Apr 10
Originally posted by nimzo5awesome stuff! that's the kind of thing I wanted to hear
Spassky is pretty much the opposite of Kasparov. I don't think he sweat the draw much, he was having too much fun playing King's Gambits. He just said, "What would you say if I offered you a draw?"
A friend of mine got into a closed, lost position, and Spassky sat down, thought for about 5 minutes and then made this strange retreating Knight move and annou ...[text shortened]... ter."
sure enough about 5 moves later it became clear my buddy was toast. Great stuff.
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02 Apr 10
Originally posted by robbie carrobieHere's one example from my past. Back when I was rated about 1900 USCF, I got paired against a master rated in the high 2300's (I was white). He was a friend of mine and I knew his style quite well, but we'd never played OTB except for blitz. He had a very tactical style and played only a few openings (Sicilian and Leningrad Dutch) which he had analyzed quite deeply. Biggest problem is that I had no confidence in my ability to play the white side of the Sicilian against him and I know nothing about how to play the Leningrad Dutch. So, I need to
Hi, how does one prepare for a specific opponent? Yes one understands that looking through his/her games are a prerequisite, but then what?
1) Avoid his preperation
2) Try to keep out of tactical messes
My solution was to play the closed Sicilian reverse (1 c4 f5, with white following up with Nc3, g3, Bg2, and Nge2). You don't need to know a lot of theory to get a decent position, and I like those closed but fluid positions you get in the closed Sicilian. And you rarely get into tactical melees.
Result = draw.